Immigrant Buddies
Collaborating to create a responsive website aimed at helping new U.S. immigrants.
Background
Immigrant buddies was created to help new U.S. immigrants adapt and incorporate more easily into American culture. Jennifer Jiang was the creator who helped run the design and research team of 5 others.
Problem
With the increase in immigrants in the Houston, Texas area, there was a need for immigrants to feel more welcome and more easily adjust to American life. Resources for immigrants to find jobs, housing, employment, etc. were the main issues immigrants faced in the first few months after arriving in America.
Solution
Design a responsive website that can be viewed from any device.
Create a design system that is easily understood by all nationalities.
Provide a network of people and resources for each immigrant.
Overview
Project: Create a responsive website for new U.S. immigrants
Role: Product researcher & designer (UX/UI)
Timeline: 28 weeks
Tools used: Figma, Google Suites
Empathize
Research Approach
Due to a previous project (Art Budget Defense you can find here), I was asked to lead the research for Immigrant Buddies, keeping in mind that we might need to use the information for future funding. I used methods of user interviews and data research online.
I also was tasked with doing market research to find the TAM, SAM, and SOM for Immigrant Buddies (IB).
TAM, SAM, & SOM
Through LinkedIn Learning I was able to calculate the approximate size of the specific market for IB. To find our specific market, we had to establish our industry, segment, and sub-segment.
Next, I had to find the amount of people who are in our specific market. Due to the fact that Immigrant Buddies overlaps in many different markets, I had to base the market numbers on several sources, mostly from government sites.
Based on the data I found, I was able to calculate our market size.
We were unable to find dollar amounts for the calculations, because we are not sure if the app will be free or if we will charge a fee for use.
Other Research
Other members of the IB team conducted research as well, including:
Competitive Analysis
Comparative Analysis
Volunteer Data
All team member’s data lead us to defining the problems we wanted to help solve for the new U.S. immigrant population.
User Interviews
Each member of the design and research team interviewed at least 1 immigrant about their experience coming to America.
Based on all of the immigrant interviews we found that there are three main concerns immigrants have when first moving to the U.S.
The top three concerns for new U.S. immigrants are…
This information helped us focus the main concerns the Immigrant Buddies website would focus on first, before expanding to other areas.
Data Findings
Using Census data and immigrant organizations, I found data on immigration in the U.S., with a focus in Houston, TX immigrants, where our headquarters are located.
This data confirmed that Houston would be a great place to launch the website and focusing on employment and acclimating to American culture would be our primary focuses as we began the website design.
Define
Pain Points
Our research confirmed that we should focus on the top 3 concerns of new immigrants:
Problem Statements
How might we create a responsive website that provides new immigrants with resources specific to their needs?
How might we provide immigrants with a site that is easy to navigate for all cultures and nationalities?
How might we connect new immigrants with people who are familiar with American culture and society?
Personas
Another design team member, Julia, created personas for immigrant users who are in the U.S. for different reasons. Each persona focused on the pain points we established and how they could achieve their goals and find resources. One of Julia’s personas is featured below.
Ideate
Site Map
Our next step was to create a site map, which I helped create and refine. The final site map is below. This will accommodate both desktop and mobile versions of the site. To view the previous site maps, click here.
User & Task Flows
User flows were created by my fellow designer, Alison. The flows for immigrants and buddies can be viewed here.
Sketches
These sketches were created by the founder of IB, Jennifer. She made several sketches for desktop and mobile, however, I only included the sketches of screens I personally worked on during the project.
Low-Fi Frames
After viewing the sketches, we each were assigned a few low-fi screens to create in desktop, then mobile. Below are the screens I worked on.
Branding & UI Kit
The design system was created by Grace, Julia, and Alison. We used these elements throughout all of the screens in our hi-fi versions.
Design
Hi-fi Frames
After establishing the design system and critiquing our lo-fi frames, we were ready for the hi-fi frames for desktop and mobile.
Testing
Usability Testing
We took the first version of the hi-fi frames and combined them into a prototype. We tested the mobile version first, our research showed that most immigrants have access to a mobile device of some kind.
Each member of the design team conducted a usability test virtually or in person with an immigrant. There were 5 tests performed total.
We had each tester create a new profile, find their list of buddies, request a new buddy, and send the new buddy a message.
Results
Four out of Five immigrants we tested were able to complete all the tasks.
There was a lack of back buttons and became difficult to navigate.
Some users preferred to hide their last name or only give the last initial of their last name. They wanted to protect their privacy.
Iterations
We wanted to add more simplistic navigation, like a back button, to the screens that might require the user to go back.
Next, we wanted to include more privacy options when creating a profile.
Lastly, we had to make sure the spacing was consistent and easily readable on desktop and mobile screens.
Reflection
What I Learned
I learned how fast-paced a lean start-up truly can be and how to collaborate harmoniously with other designers in that environment.
I gained experience in viewing a project through a business lens and calculating data directly related to a product I’m helping create.
I learned how important it is to continuously work with developers and learn from them so my designs are best for the user and the development process.
Next Steps
I am hoping to continue using my skills in research and design to assist organizations that are trying to make a positive change in the world and help others.
I hope to look into becoming a volunteer for IB when it expands outside of Houston, into the entire U.S.